


Around And Around

by MagieFish



Series: Imagineered Abominations [18]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Bertie gone a bit off his trolly, Electrocution, Gen, Inky ink, warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-03 13:13:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16326932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagieFish/pseuds/MagieFish
Summary: There’s only one way out now.





	1. One Way Out

_7th May 1938_

There it stood before him. His carousel. His crowning achievement, in his opinion. But who’s opinion was better than his? He walked around inspecting it. He turned to his accomplice and gave the closet thing he could to a smile.

”It’s brilliant.”, Bertrum told her.

”Yeah, Yeah.”, Lacie strolled over as she said, “Took a lot of yelling and making up for lost time so you better be grateful.”

Bertrum had tuned her out halfway through. He gazed at his creation. All the other entertainment pieces they had made were shoddy and cheap. The haunted house was decent the first time and miserably dull all others. This however, was of legendary status compared to them.

”Do you think I should show Joey?”, Bertrum asked, smugly thinking about showing off the contraption.

Lacie rolled her eyes, “What kind of idea is that? He’s impressed, smooth talks ya, and then the next thing you know HE built the damn carousel.”

Her sentence dissolved into grumbling about how Bertrum wasn’t even the one who built it, but he ignored her. He was thinking about the look on Drew’s face was he realised he’d been outshined.

* * *

 

Bertrum walked into her office to vent to Lacie only to find that she wasn’t there. With a huff he sat down and waited. _Can’t believe Drew didn’t even ask to see me after work! I mean, what on Earth could he be doing then! It’s free time! Guess I have to wait until tomorrow now to relish in his shaming!_ He looked over at his unfinished Bendy animatronic. It was missing an arm, which had disappeared under mysterious circumstances (though he was convinced it was one of those foolish children he was forced to adress as ‘employees’). It’s cold dead eyes ignored him.

”See that even you don’t pay attention to me.”, He remarked, his voice of venom.

It continued to stare at the ceiling, oblivious to Bertrum’s existence. He heard Lacie’s leisurely pace approaching and stood up. She entered the room lighting a cigarette, almost walking into him. She didn’t even look up when she said-

“So, let me guess, Drew said no?”

”He said see me tomorrow because APPARENTLY he has bettering things to do!”, Lacie walked past him and started to tweak something as he continued his rant, “No one pays any attention to me anymore! I’ve made all these rides and attractions only for Joey to come onto the stage and take all the credit every single time!!”

”Well maybe if you didn’t act like an overdramatic toddler they would.”, She mumbled.

Bertrum slowly turned his head. He stared at her in silent rage until she noticed. And by that I mean glancing over her shoulder, rolling her eyes and turning back to her cigarette.

“Would you like to repeat what you said?”

The chair screeched as she turned it around. She absentmindedly removed the cigarette from her mouth to say.

”Maybe if you didn’t act like an overdramatic toddler they would take you seriously.”

He let out a gasp of offence, “I am NOT overdramatic! You’re just jealous of my brilliance.”

Lacie stood up at this, finally showing an ounce of caring. She stormed up to him and stood almost at his level.

”Listen here. I have worked day and night for you, made machines of all shapes and sizes, and now you’re complaining that you don’t get recognition. Oh, I’m sorry, doesn’t it say every damn article that you ‘made’ this and that you ‘made’ that?”

”But it’s always addressed as Joey’s park-“

Lacie slammed her fist on the table, causing the animatronic to jerk slightly.

”That’s not the point!! You’re so caught up in your own ego that you can’t see that you never give credit to us! Me, the youth, Harold, all of us get the scraps while you act like you’re the one being oppressed! Time and time again, I’ve tried to knock sense into you and every time it’s met with the same old sob story! And if you keep on like this, than you may as well be as bad as Mr Drew himself. And I don’t need two burdens on my back.”

She walked towards the door much to Bertrums shock.

”Where are you going?”

”I quit Bertie.”

Lacie didn’t even look at him. Bertrum scowled at the empty doorway. Strangely, he felt something slightly akin to sadness. _Well, I don’t need her._ He thought, erasing that emotion. _I can do this by myself! Wait, Wasn’t I supposed to ask her to do a carousel checkup today?_ He felt his heart sink. _Whatever! I can do it myself! Wouldn’t trust those children with it._ He walked through the empty rooms of R&D, earning a few confused looks from the employees. After what felt like an eternity of people giving him funny looks, he reached his prize carousel. He surveyed it for a gearbox. He eventually found it, opening it up to wires and gears. He frowned. _I’m sure that’s not supposed to be there. Or that. Or that. Or that.....How did it get this bad?_

“Sherman!!”, The man reluctantly came over, “Can you explain this to me?”

He glanced at it and answered in a confused voice, “Unfortunately not. As far as I can recall, all of this was in the right place before.”

”Then who could’ve done this? *gasp* LACIE!! That backstabbing-“

”She never came in.”, Sherman silenced him, “The only person I saw come out was Mr Drew, but I assumed that was just him checking up on it.”

Bertrum stared at him, mind buzzing with panic and questions. Sherman left the room without dismissal, but Bertrum was too deep in thought to care. _This sort of wiring...could kill me. He-He didn’t want to kill me, right? Right.....I mean, people have been disappeared lately. But he’s not a murderer! I can’t be associated with someone like that! I mean, where would he keep bodies?!....Coffins. Bodies go in coffins. And secret rooms. Forbidden rooms. But why? Why would he? These only started after that machine came in. There was always something off about it. Why would he need ink and dead people? With that much ink you could make about 50 animations! Such a waste. Animations...._ Bertrum felt his heart skip a beat. _People._ A wave of sickening realisation washed over him as the final dot connected. _Ink._

_There’s only one way out now._


	2. Unnoticed

_May 8th 1938_

Bertrum heard Joey enter the room but didn’t bother to face him. They stood side by side, staring at the carousel. Joey looked unusually happy. Of course he did. _Fool._ Bertrum took a deep breath and climbed into the carousel. He knew Joey was watching. Grinning. Like a f***ing madman. Bertrum reached inside his pocket and removed a vial. A black liquid swirled inside it, eager to get it’s hands on him. Unlike others, this was of his own will. And he was determined to keep it through death. He pulled out the cork. The vile taste filled his mouth, burning his throat and stomach. He felt like throwing up. He didn’t. As he chocked and gasped he reached out for the button. _Click._ **Pain shot through his whole body. It bombarded him with electricity, making him throw up his insides. Everything shook and distorted and bent and then it vanished.**

Joey watched with a grin from the outside as smoke rose from the machine. He turned away, ready to put the next stage of his plan into action. He didn’t notice the tape recorder with a wire. He didn’t notice the speakers. He didn’t notice any of it. He wasn’t one to notice those kinds of details.

Bertrum was.

And so was R&D.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for such a short chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> This was lazy so I’ll try and make the next chapter better.


End file.
